Top 10 Red Lipsticks for Valentine's Day

...or any day, really, because red lipstick is appropriate for any situation. You might be thinking 'who needs ten red lipsticks?' and I'll tell you right away that your instincts are correct - you actually need way more than ten. Kidding! Kind of. Judging from this selection, I obviously have some kind of lipstick-shaped hole in my soul that I'm trying to fill, but you might find yourself with just one classic, made-for-you red in your collection, and that's totally cool too. Also, what's self restraint like? 

From lightest to darkest, here are my top 10 red lipsticks for Valentine's Day!

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Morocco

Mmmm, I love a Soft Matte Lip Cream! Smells like a vanilla cupcake dream, goes on smooth and opaque, and wears light as a feather. This is a perfect warm toned red with a great orange tint that's super bold, but still easy to wear.

Colourpop Ultra Matte Lip in Succulent

This shade is a perfect coral-red that manages to be both bright and muted at the same time. You get a true matte finish (and the dryness to match) and the wear is pretty good too. The color is the best part, though, and I've yet to find something else quite the same as this unique shade.

Wet n Wild Lipstick in Purty Persimmon

Wet n Wild Meglast lipsticks are the old faithfuls of the drugstore - they're less than two bucks, super comfortable to wear, come in a large range of great colors and stay put for hours. Purty Persimmon is a lovely orange-red shade that I always get excited to pop on. This is the lipstick that showed me I like warm toned reds too!

Revlon Lipstick in Fire & Ice

A serious classic! This shade is from the olden days of lipstick, basically, and there's a reason it has stood the test of time - it's gorgeous! Such a lovely color that tends to skew warm toned, but somehow seems to work on everyone I've ever seen wear it? You need this.

Rimmel Provocalips in Kiss Me You Fool

I don't know how many more ways I can say this: I'M IN LOVE WITH RIMMEL PROVOCALIPS. Sorry for shouting, but if you still haven't tried these, I don't know what I can do with you. They're the best, last forever, the end. This is the bright cherry red from the range, and I'm telling you - if you need an all day red lip that you can eat pizza and, like, brush your teeth in, this is that red.

MAC Lipstick in Russian Red

There's just something about a smooth tube of MAC lipstick! This is my favorite red from the brand, but I know that's a hot button issue. Are you a Ruby Woo gal? Okay, let's take this outside! JK, don't hit me plz. The cool toned Russian Red has my heart (bringing in this theme nicely!) but honestly all MAC reds are iconic for a reason!

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella

I didn't know this would change my red lipstick life, but it kinda did! Among literally every red I wear, this is the one that, when I slip it on, looks the smoothest, prettiest and just all around Photoshopped-on-my-lips-est. It's matte, but not too matte and I never even feel it on my lips. It's a great neutral to cool-leaning red that applies like a dream and treats your lips right.

Revlon Matte Balm in Standout

This one is a sleeper hit! It's very similar to MAC Russian Red, with a cool toned hue and matte finish, but it also has a moisturizing quality, complete with minty zing, that you're not going to find in most other lipsticks. I struggle getting a crisp line with it, but it applies so easily and feels so comfortable it's kinda worth it.

Rimmel Provocalips in Play With Fire

See above, and approximately 1,009,342 other blog posts to see how much I love Provocalips. This is a deeper, more cool toned red from the range and I love it just as much as the other red shade. I tend to pull this out for a more dramatic look, but you'd be good with whichever red you like more. Let Provocalips change your life!

Maybelline Lipstick in Smoking Red

Yass, a deep red that goes on opaque in one swipe! You've really done it, Maybelline. I can't tell you how many times in my life I've bought and tossed so called 'black cherry' lipsticks when they go on patchy and pathetic. This is a bit lighter than those shades, but it does the job of coloring my lips evenly. Luckily, it also feels comfortable and lasts, keeping me coming back swipe after swipe.

Red Lipstick Swatches

See? Duh, they're all v. different, thank you.

What's your favorite red lip color? Have you tried any of these? Wanna fight me over the top MAC red lipstick?

BEAUTY: New at the Drugstore Spring 2016

With each new season comes the greatest of gifts. No, not your crippling allergies or an excuse to buy new clothes. I'm talking new drugstore makeup! Not that the industry needs a reason to give us new or limited edition products, but they do seem to love a seasonal release. I can't resist every new thing that catches my eye on an endcap at Walgreens.(Believe it or not, I am only human, though I'll let you know when I grow my unicorn horn. Hooves crossed!)

Having picked up some newbies here and there with a plethora of coupons mixed with sales, I realized I had a bit of a haul to share, and what am I here for if not to share my overly specific opinions on things you've never asked me about? I do what I can.

NYX Vivid Brights Liquid Eyeliner

Let it be said: NYX makes some of the best damn liquid eyeliners in the drugstore - nay, the world! My ride-or-die everyday liner is the NYX Collection Noir Liquid Black Liner, and all the things I love about it are captured in the Vivid Brights line: a thin, flexible brush tip, opaque formula, and smooth application. I wouldn't necessarily classify these shades as vivid and bright, though. They're great colors (the full line contains 9 rainbow-spanning shades) and add a pop to your eyes, but I was expecting these to be VIVID and BRIGHT, but they're more like vivid and bright, you know? Still, I love 'em and their all day staying power so I'll reach for them when I need a little oomph on my eye.

Rimmel Provocalips

Around this time last year, I was shouting my love for Provocalips from the rooftops (assuming, of course, that a blog post and vigorous texting with my sister are the modern day equivalent of rooftops). I'm in love with this stuff! No other lip color has ever lasted as long or as well on my lips. Plus, it's like stupid cheap and available basically everywhere. I'm done trying to convince you; honestly, it's your loss if you sleep on this stuff. What you do need to know, though, is that three new shades are now available, and the two I've purchased are just as great as the rest. The other new shade is a deeper berry color, but it looked too similar to Kiss Fatal for me to pick up.

CoverGirl TruNaked Eyeshadow Palette in Roses

I feel like I'm in high school again! Why? Because that's the last time I consciously purchased a CoverGirl eyeshadow. I love me some CoverGirl 3-in-1 foundation, but their eyeshadows usually leave me underwhelmed, with the exception of the eyeshadow single Disco Ball, which I wore almost exclusively from the late nineties through the early 00s. So much glittery fallout, so little time. Sigh. ANYWAY, I kept seeing swatches of this palette and was shocked how good it looked. It's obviously an attempt at a Naked 3 dupe, but these are nowhere near Urban Decay quality. I found that the shades swatch well, but lack some of that pigmentation when applied with brushes, which is a bummer, and no matter what colors I used my eye ended up a bit muddy looking within a few hours, even with an eye primer. Not a total miss, but not the drugstore beacon I was hoping for.

Jordana Sweet Cream Matte Liquid Lip Color 

& NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream

Here we have two products that I couldn't feel more differently about! First, the Jordana: this is a typical liquid lipstick, but what stood out to me was how very matte this looks when it dries down. It's almost chalky, but in a good way? It's surprisingly comfortable for just how matte it is, and lightyears more comfortable than, say, the ColourPop Matte Lips. Raspberry Tart, pictured here, is the perfect cool toned pink that my collection was missing. Bonus: the doe foot applicator has a little scoop shape so just enough product comes out. It's the little things.

Okay, bummer of all bummers: Moscow, this lovely midnight blue shade of Soft Matte Lip Cream, suuuuuuucks. Yes, I meant each and every one of those u's. Don't get me wrong, I love the SMLC line, but this shade is a streaky mess. Lack of pigmentation is one thing, but you can't even build the color up without cracking or wiping off the underneath layers. I tried a navy eyeliner as a base, and that too was rebuffed. This is the lipstick that does not want to be worn. There are so few cheap and accessible blue lipsticks that this is a real loss. Moscow, we hardly knew ye.

KISS Waterless Nail Tattoos

This is my first nail tattoo purchase, waterless or otherwise, and it was on a complete whim, but I'm kind of loving how simple these are to use. You just cut around the design, peel it from the backing, press it on your nail and seal with a topcoat. They have great staying power and look lovely over a bright polish base or on naked nails. The roses are fun, but not 100% my jam, so I'm impatiently waiting for some new designs to be released. 

Have you found any great new products lately? Can you point me in the direction of the best blue lipstick? How many rose-themed manicures do you think I can realistically get away with before people start to talk?

BEAUTY: 10 Purple Lipsticks Under $10

You know what's the best? Fun lipstick. Even better? Fun cheap lipstick. I mean, I love those over the top, gilded designer tubes that are really more decor than makeup just as much as the next lipstick wearer, but I tend to just admire those from afar...really afar. Like, pinteresting-lipstick-pics-from-the-comfort-of-my-own-couch afar. If you choose to drop $50 on a lipstick, that's amazing for you! (I mean it! You probably have the best throw blankets ever and smell like some kind of exotic vanilla at all times. Let's hang.) 

I mostly do the drugstore thing when it comes to makeup, and while it can be hard to find "fun" colors there, purple lipstick has become so insanely popular that there are a bunch of budget options to choose from. Purple: the color of royalty, bruises, and my mother's birthstone. Plus, it looks rad on your face! Yes, you! Literally everyone can wear some shade of purple on their lips because purple lipstick is magic. You should definitely fall under its spell.

Left to Right:

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick in Brazen Berry
The PERFECT cool toned, medium purple, which I'm convinced looks amazing on everyone.

Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Sangria
A deep wine shade that manages to be creamy and NOT patchy - a feat for these kinds of colors!

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Vintage Pink
Don't let the name fool you - this is a pale purple-pink, which makes a great "nude" for those of us with cool toned lips.

Blackheart Beauty Lipstick in Violet
A beautiful basic purple shade that compliments many skin tones.

Wet n Wild MegaLast Lip Color in Sugar Plum Fairy
Dark and vampy, this plum shade goes on matte and stays put, and is a near dupe for MAC Rebel!

Left to Right:

Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Shameless
Gives the moisturizing (and minty!) benefits of a balm, and the deep, true purple can't be rivaled.

Rimmel Provocalips in Kiss Fatal
I've already professed my unwavering love for Provocalips and this shade is one of my favorites! Deep, almost berry purple with ALL day wear.

Wet n Wild Fergie Creme Lipstick in D-Vinely Chilled
When you want some sheen and shimmer grab this unique vino-inspired shade.

Jordana Modern Matte Lipstick in Matte It Girl
Matte, smooth and a perfect magenta-toned purple. Much more vibrant in person!

Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Color in Va Va Violet
For the violet devotees only; super deep, somewhat fussy, but totally royal.

Rimmel Vintage Pink, Blackheart Beauty Violet, Jordana Matte It Girl, Maybelline Brazen Berry, Wet n Wild Sugar Plum Fairy, Revlon Shameless, Rimmel Kiss Fatal, Wet n Wild D-Vinely Chilled, Milani Sangria, Revlon Va Va Violet

Sometimes I prefer lip swatches so here you go, but OH MAN is it weird to look at so many closeups of your own lips! I do it for you, America:

Left to Right, Top to Bottom:
Rimmel Vintage Pink, Blackheart Beauty Violet, Jordana Matte It Girl, Maybelline Brazen Berry, Wet n Wild Sugar Plum Fairy, Revlon Shameless, Rimmel Kiss Fatal, Wet n Wild D-Vinely Chilled, Milani Sangria, Revlon Va Va Violet

Do you love purple lipstick? What's your favorite shade, drugstore or not? What other interesting lip color shades are you digging lately?

BEAUTY: Rimmel Provocalips Review

I should’ve known what I was in for when the Walgreens’s cashier gave me a stern-faced warning at the register; Rimmel’s new Provocalips liquid lip colors are no joke. My cashier told me in no uncertain terms that she’d purchased a tube and had to sleep in her lipstick because she couldn’t get the color off her lips. I think she was trying to dissuade me from purchasing, but to me her words meant only one thing: impressive staying power.

Because I like a challenge, I immediately picked up 5 shades: 

I'll Call You - medium, cool-toned pink

Make Your Move - brown-leaning nude

Little Minx - bright fuchsia/raspberry

Play With Fire - deep, blue-based red

Kiss Fatal - dark, cool-toned purple

L to R: I'll Call You, Make Your Move, Little Minx, Play With Fire, Kiss Fatal {natural light}

L to R: I'll Call You, Make Your Move, Little Minx, Play With Fire, Kiss Fatal {with flash}

The full line contains 10 shades, including mainly reds, pinks and nudes. Each tube is double-ended, with lip color on one end and a clear gloss on the other. The gloss is not at all sticky - it’s super slick, and feels similar to the slip you’d get from a silicone face primer. Without the clear gloss, these lip colors can feel a little rubbery or sticky, but one dot of gloss and your lips are totally smooth.

In my excitement, I tried on Make Your Move right there in the drugstore parking lot, and found the coverage to be opaque and smooth. It dried in about a minute, so I topped it with the clear gloss and went on my way. Because the high of beauty buying is ever so fleeting, I forgot I was wearing the lip color until I got out of the shower that night. I’d luxuriated in a full shower, during which I’d even washed my face, but exited to find my lip color was somehow still fully in place.

I scrubbed and scrubbed, but the Provocalips would not come off.  I thought of my Walgreen's cashier's warning and a brief panic ensued, but then I remembered my favorite stubborn makeup remover: Pond’s Cold Cream. Rub a bit on your lips, wipe off with a tissue, and every trace is gone.

I was tentatively in love with this stuff, but wanted to see what challenges Provocalips could stand up to, you know, other than a shower. The bar had been set pretty high.

To test it, I applied the shade Little Minx around 10:00 AM and went about my day. I never found the product to feel heavy or tight on my lips, and any hint of dryness was remedied with a swipe of the attached gloss or another lip balm overtop. After lunch, I expected to reapply, but found it wasn’t necessary. Almost confused by its toughness, I decided that evening to whip out the big guns: the Pizza Test™. Being the true scientist that I am, I ordered pizza for dinner and chowed down carelessly. As everyone knows, pizza is the natural predator of lipstick, but this stuff stood tall. In the end, there was my lip color, unaffected! Yes really.

Is it legal to marry a lipstick?

This is the best long lasting lip color I’ve ever tried. It stays on through eating, drinking, kissing, face washing AND showering. I even brushed my teeth with it on one time - just because I could! Freedom, thy name is Provocalips.

Have you tried this lip color yet? What's your favorite long-wearing lip product? Which lipstick would you like to marry?

BEAUTY: (Mostly) Drugstore Bridesmaid & Wedding Makeup

Recently, I had the pleasure of being a maid of honor in my friend's wedding, and while there's a lot of lovely stuff to say about that (the dress! the love! the venue! the free drinks!), what I really want to talk about is makeup. I could've gone with a professional, but true to my DIY mindset, I challenged myself to put together a look that would be strong enough for wedding photos, long lasting and budget-friendly. My friend was super relaxed about our individual looks, but you should check with your bride if you're thinking of going in a different direction, beauty-wise. 

Relying on products I knew and trusted, and doing a lot of beauty research, here's what I put together for a (mostly) drugstore wedding look that stayed in place through the last dance:

+ Face +

1: CeraVe PM Moisturizing Facial Lotion

Start with a clean, moisturized base - this lotion is light and sinks in quickly, plus there's no SPF, which can flashback oddly in professional photos.

2: Revlon ColorStay Foundation

This is full coverage without a mask-like feel. Work in small sections because it tends to dry quickly. My foundation was still at least 85% perfect about 15 hours after application.

3: Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer

Great for under eye area. Gives a light, bright look which would work for contouring, as well. Brush tip is handy for application.

4: Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Translucent

Top your foundation with this matte powder which seals everything in, but still lets your skin look alive. I had this in my clutch for touchups and never needed it.

5: NYC Bronzer in Sunny

This matte bronzer is perfect for warming up your face and contouring.

6: Maybelline Color Tattoo in Matte Brown

This is technically eyeshadow, but I used it for light cheekbone and jawline contouring, which is a good idea for professional photos. The cream formula blended into skin and stayed put.

7: Milani Baked Blush in Rose D'Oro

Best drugstore blush! These blushes are nicely pigmented, and also have a glowy highlight in them. I love peachy shades for my skin, but there are several warm and cool toned options.

8: NYX Full Coverage Concealer

Use with a brush for any redness or blemishes. Thick but blend-able.

9: Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter

Best highlighter ever. I still have my free sample from Sephora, but a good drugstore alternative is Sonia Kashuk's Highlighter Stick in Sparkling Sand. Perfect for cheekbones, eyebrow arches, inner corner of eyes and cupid's bow.

10: NYX Setting Spray in Matte Finish

Set your face with a few spritzes of this. I spray in the air above my face and then look up to the ceiling and let it fall down on me.

11: Makeup Sponge (Beauty Blender knockoff)

Cheap from Marshall's/T.J. Maxx. Works beautifully to give a soft finish to foundation and cream products. Blends contour cream perfectly!

12: Real Techniques Contour Brush

Good for bronzer or blush.

13: ELF Small Stipple Brush

Use to dab highlighter over cheekbones.

14: Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

Great for giving a finishing blend to foundation.

15: Real Techniques Buffing Brush

Use this for setting power, for face and lips (mentioned below).

16: ELF Blush Brush

Good size for applying blush on apples of the cheeks.

+ Eyes +

1: Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Sellout, Twice Baked and Perversion

Obviously, this isn't drugstore, but one area to splurge in if you're able is eyeshadow. I already had this (very old) Urban Decay palette, but some good long wear drugstore shadows are L'Oreal Infallible Shadow and Maybelline Color Tattoos (if you like cream formulas). I created a brown smokey eye with Sellout all over my lid, Twice Baked in the crease and a touch of Perversion in the outer corner to add a little drama. I also lined my bottom lash line with a little Twice Baked on the outer half and Sellout on the inner half. I'm pretty sure Sellout is the world's best eyeshadow.

2: Milani Eyeshadow Primer

I find this just as effective as Urban Decay's Primer Potion for so much cheaper.

3: Maybelline Gel Eyeliner in Black

I used this to line my bottom waterline because even my best pencil liners wear off there eventually. I topped it with Urban Decay shadow in Perversion to make it last even longer.

4: Small Eye Brush (came with gel liner)

I used this little brush to pat Perversion on top of my gel liner.

5: Sephora All Over Shadow Brush

Perfect for packing shadow all over the lid. For cheap alternatives, I like Target makeup brushes, and the ELF shadow brush is fine too.

6: Maybelline Ultra Liner Waterproof in Black

Drugstore waterproof liquid liner is RARE. I went with this one, and while not perfect, it lasted all night and survived tears. Get experience using this for a week or more before the big day because the brush and formula feel a little different.

7: Maybelline The Colossal Waterproof Mascara in Glam Black

Awesome drugstore mascara. You see an instant difference when it goes on, and it is seriously waterproof (wore it swimming before). Comes off easily with Pond's or oil-based removers.

8: NYX Eyebrow Gel in Blonde

I switch between pencils, powders and gel for my brows, but for all day wear I need this stuff. Use a tiny speck to brush on perfect color that also keeps hairs in place. I like to brush my brows down, draw on a line of gel with a brush where I'd like my top perimeter to be, and brush the brows back up into place to hide the harsh line. Fill in the bottom and tail as needed.

9: Real Techniques Detailer Brush

I use this for shadow along my lower lash line.

10: Target Crease Shadow Brush

Perfect for adding dimension in the crease and blending crease shades into highlights.

11: Slanted Brow Brush (from paint section at Michael's)

This is a paintbrush that I use to fill in my brows with the NYX gel.

12: ELF Angled Eyeliner Brush

Perfect to add gel eyeliner to the bottom waterline.

13: Spoolie

Needed to brush brows into place. Can also use an old (clean) mascara wand.

14: Japonesque Eyelash Curler

Awesome curler that comes with free replacement pads. To me, this is another worthy splurge. I've had this for years and it works better than cheaper ones I've used. I like it as much as the Shu Uemura curler.

15: Ardell Demi Wispies False Lashes

My go-to false lash for when I (rarely) need them. Dramatic, but not costume-y. Fits my eye perfectly.

16: Duo Eyelash Glue in Clear

Best, most reliable eyelash glue. Dries clear. Dab a bit on the back of your hand, drag lash band through it and give it 45-60 seconds (longer than it says) to get tacky before applying.

+ Lips +

1: ELF Lip Exfoliator

Before any color, you need a smooth base. This is cheap and works so well. Apply like a lipstick, scrubbing extra where needed. The sugar crystals smooth while the oils moisturize. Give yourself some time for this to work before you apply your color.

2: NYX Lip Liner in Red

Start with a lip liner around your lip line. I stick to my natural shape, but this is the step to over draw if that's what you're going for. Fill in your lips with the liner.

3: Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick in Top Tomato {reviewed here}

Cover lips in a thin, even layer and let it dry. Once set, tear a tissue in half so that it's one-ply and place it over your lips. Brush some translucent powder over the lips to seal in color.

4: ELF Retractable Lip Brush

You can use a lip brush to spread the color if you'd lip.

+ Hair +

1: Bed Head Rockaholic Flexible Hair Spray

Another area to splurge if you can is hairspray. I've always used cheap ones and I just learned that good ones make a huge difference! They stay better, and they don't make my hair feel so weighed down and crunchy. This one was on clearance at Marshall's for $8.00! I had this by my side at the hotel and the bridal suite and we all used it many, many times. My curls stayed in for days after the wedding (I wore them as long as I could before washing!).

2: Suave Dry Shampoo

Even on clean hair, this gives a little lift and thickness to the root.

3: Tangle Teezer

Awesome for brushing out long hair!

4: Rattail Comb (neon rattail, to be exact!)

My favorite tool (and blog namesake) for combing bangs, smoothing small hairs and combing out sections of hair right before curling them. Essential!

5: Hair Clips

For sectioning hair before curling. I like to start curling in the back and work my way up to the front.

6: Goody Wave Creator

My one true hair love. This thing is so easy to use and always gives me perfect waves-bordering-on-curls, which is my favorite. It gets super hot super fast and all I have to do is lightly spritz a section with hair spray (I used small sections for this look), wrap it around the bubbled iron and unravel to get perfect little spirals. I let them cool while doing my makeup and them carefully comb them out with my fingers. Spray and tousle until it's to your liking. I don't think this model is made by Goody anymore (why?!), but Bed Head makes one too.

+ Nails +

1: Tropical Shine Nail File

Any will do, but I love this one from Sally's Beauty Supply and it's less than a buck.

2: Beauty Secrets Moisturizing Base Coat

This is also from Sally's and it's made a huge difference in my nail strength.

3: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Coral Reef

This shade is a perfect coral - not too pink and not too orange. I wanted something in the realm of "normal" that would compliment our teal dresses. Such a gorgeous shade in person!

4: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat

A great long wearing top coat that dries pretty fast. For ultimate speed, I'd recommend Seche Vite.

Here's my final drugstore wedding makeup look:

I applied my makeup around 10:00 AM.

And here's my makeup around 9:00 PM, at which point I had stolen my boyfriend's bow tie.

I don't have many great photos of my handiwork because I was busy maid-of-honoring, and, you know, enjoying myself, but hopefully you can see that you DO NOT have to spend a ton on makeup to have it apply well and last all day. There are weak products at the drugstore, just like there are weak products at the department store counters. Knowing what works for you is what's important.

Have you ever done your own makeup for a wedding? What are your favorite high performance drugstore finds? Do you also have a lot of feelings and thoughts about makeup?

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